The Long Goodbye Part 2: The Last of my Species!

A few weeks ago my 22 year involvement with university science research centres ended.

With a vision of "Empowering Citizens & creating Smarter Societies", the multi-university Insight Centre for Data Analytics-which helped secure for Ireland a reputation for data-driven research & innovation in fields such as connected health, sensor technology, environmental analytics & human computer interaction-completed its funded research programme. Insight & ADAPT Centre have now become 'Rinn AI', Ireland’s national centre for data & AI research.

So as Insight’s tenure ended, I felt that it was an opportune time for me to do likewise, to retire from my role as a university research centre Educational & Public Engagement(EPE) Manager & to move onto pastures new.

In summer 2004, I attended the first meeting of what were then referred to as ‘Outreach’ Officers of the recently established research centres operating under Science Foundation Ireland(SFI). Of those that were at that inaugural gathering in Dublin, I’ve been for many years the only one still doing the same job

At one level, I could be viewed as the last of my species!

Though it was a voluntary decision to leave, nevertheless it was not an easy one. For I leave behind good friends & colleagues at a world class science research centre and at the University of Galway who helped me in delivering educational programmes to schools, communities & businesses across Ireland

And I’ll deeply miss the fantastic teachers, children & youth that I have been involved with through my Educational and Public Engagement (EPE) work at Insight & its predecessor the Digital Enterprise Research Institute(DERI) of University of Galway

I am immensely proud that we helped pioneer learning initiatives which have brought benefits to so many:

in co-creating Citizen Science & Engaged Research projects, hosting the Computer & Communications Museum, establishing DSI’s Virtual Reality Lab, providing a travelling laptop (mobile IT) lab for schools, & Digital Makers training/facilities particularly in hosting Coderdojo classes for 10 years, mentoring Internet Safety sessions for all ages, being part of the introduction of art into Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM becomes STEAM), setting up Computer Rooms in IPAS centres across the west of Ireland, training teachers to create their first ever school websites, facilitating rural communities in digitising stories/photos from long ago, upgrading with the Access Centre older laptops to be used by families in social need, assisting the annual Galway Science & Technology Festival in its annual STEM schedule, and helping to pioneer the introduction of STEM programmes to disadvantaged communities (asylum seekers, Travellers, older peoples).

So what next for me?

I will certainly not have time to get bored!

There will be travels with my wife Cepta to places far and near and spending time with my son Shane's new family.

I will be honouring committments to a number of schools and organisations in online local heritage (Irish BEO) and coding projects, and as its curator and co-founder I intend to help make the Computer and Communications Museum of Ireland - CCMI become an important national educational and technology heritage resource.

But in an era when climate denial is on the rise across the globe and governments are rolling back on their commitments, I will have a big focus on working with others to tackle the ever growing & interlinked Climate & Biodiversity Crises through the Galway National Park, Connemara Greenway Alliance, Corrib Bridge & Terryland Forest Park projects.

And finally I can begin to write the long overdue book about life in Galway during my student days(which I promise will be a fascinating read!)

The Long Goodbye – Part 1: The Call of Africa.

 

Late last year, I was organising an educational event at the Galway Education Centre where Bernard Kirk, the renowned STEM educationalist was MC.

The event was to be solely about the launch of an online repository of films from the wonderful pioneering Fionn project I coordinated from 2002 to 2005 on behalf of the Galway Education Centre & Galway Science and Technology Festival with Minister of Science Noel Treacy(RIP) and which involved 35 Galway schools piloting the introduction of science into the Irish primary school curriculum. The participating teachers, mentors & children from that era succeeded magnificently & our country will be forever in their debt

But to my complete surprise Bernard also used the opportunity to talk about my work across Africa under the SAP Africa Code Week (ACW) programme spearheaded by the brilliant Claire Gillissen-Duval & team which-in partnership with Irish NGO Camden Educational Trust(founded by Bernard) supported by UNESCO, African governments, local NGOs...-became the continent’s largest digital & coding skills initiative.

From 2015 to 2022, I was ACW’s chief mentor & helped develop course content used in 50 African countries by over 100,000 teachers & 14.7 million youth(47% female).

ACW was transformative for so many of its participants. But it also had a profound impact on myself as, teaching in 11 African countries, I experienced at first hand the fantastic diversification of its rich cultures and religious beliefs, its strong community/tribal/family values, its widespread technological youthful innovation...but also, as with the rest of the world, problems associated with rapid urbanisation, population growth, mining, Climate Crises, wars & threats to its precious natural ecosystems.

At the event I was presented with 2 of the most heart-warming gifts I have ever received: a)a specially commissioned(thanks Claire Betis!)painting by African artist Alexandra Savina comprising images drawn from my work in Africa but also portraying elements of my environmental & Irish heritage activities, my student activism days & Michael D. Higgins(my political inspiration)

b) a very loving tribute poem penned by Claire Betis, my good friend & colleague with whom I shared many delightful African & Middle Eastern adventures

In follow-up posts, I will tell the stories of the Africa I encountered on my trips.

This post should have been written ages ago. But the event I outlined above was held soon after I completed 6 weeks of radiotherapy treatment for prostate cancer. My energy levels were below norm. And I know Bernard deliberately and very thoughtfully brought in the African dimension to the event-with its gifts, tributes & my friends from Camden(Nuala Dalton & Cushla Dromgool-Regan)-to give me a morale booster during this difficult time.

So I felt it best to write a piece only after my medical results came through & thereby not tempt faith

Thankfully that time has come, as I recently received a positive diagnosis. Hence I give praise, blessings and thanks to the professionalism, skills and kindness of Ireland’s doctors, nurses and technicians.

So there is still a road to travel and more adventures to experience!